Youths visit voters for first-hand knowledge

A youth movement today organised a field trip to a multiracial group of youngsters to visit several areas in Selangor to have a first-hand look into election preparations on the ground.

Themed as a non-partisan exposure trip, a total of 25 participants visited the Gombak parliamentary seat and two state seats of Rawang and Batu Caves this morning.

The trip was organised by the National Youth Consultation Conference, which is comprised of Youth For Change (Y4C), Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth, Pusat Janadaya (Empower), National Young Lawyers Committee and Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia.

This is the second such trip organised by the body. The first was during the Ijok by-election last April.

NYCC coordinator Lee Khai Loon (photo), who led this trip this morning, told Malaysiakini that this event was meant to encourage youths to involve and to experience the election.

The main purpose of the tour is to allow the participants to approach the voters to find out more about their views on the election.

The areas chosen to visit this morning represented a racially balanced constituencies so that the participants could get a balance view from all segments of the society, added Lee.

The participants started their tour by conducting a survey in the Taman Melawati wet market in Ulu Kelang which falls under the Gombak seat.

However they were dejected to find that the market was deserted, leaving the participants having to look for willing targets, only to discover that these subjects were unwilling to comment on political issues.

Voters' fears

When they then moved on to Batu Caves, the group had better luck with the people there.

While the residents along the main Batu Caves road were pro-BN, residents in the squatter areas indicated that the Hindraf sentiments had swayed their thinking towards the government.

A Batu Caves resident, known only as Danny (photo, left), told the visiting youngsters that he was not bother by the ethnic background of the election candidates as long as they can perform their duties.

Some of those interviewed also expressed fears that the government could track back as to whom they cast their ballots.

One civil servant said he was not satisfied with the current unresolved issues in the Indian community.

Another coordinator for the trip, Teh Chian Yee said that the report compiled by the youngsters in this trip would be published to the public soon.

Below is a brief response from the youngsters who participated in the tour:

Sue Ann: It’s an eye opener for all

This USM post-graduate student who is doing research on young women perception in political leadership said that there were difference from getting information from the media and from hearing it first hand. She hoped to see more women joining similar activities.

Yo An: Malaysia should have a change in policy

Yo An (left) is a Korean who is currently working in Empower as an intern. He stated that the political parties should be clearly separated by political policies rather than ethnicity. He observed that all political parties stressed on bringing changes, but have no in-depth research on the issue. He commented that only by introducing new policies, can one bring a change to the Malaysian politics.

Udesh: Results are only to be seen after election

A UM graduate, Udesh mentioned that everything can be an issue. He said that politicians should upkeep their electoral promises.